Right, not had a car since september due to being at uni, but now as i’m hopefully getting a job soon, i need a car.

My last 3 cars have been:
– Slow
– Diesel (well one was)
– Boring

So i want a car with a little bit of fun in it.

i have looked over the web and have decided on either:
– VW polo Gti 1.6 16v 125bhp (2000 model)
– Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0 16v 145bhp (2001)

Now i love the VW but they cost more, have gear box issues, but look nicer (imo) the peugeot, well look cool, fast, insurance group higher etc…

Anybody owned either car, or any alternatives i haven’t considered.

Ow and budget of around £2k…

You could have a clio 172 for that money.

Polo and Pug are a bit lukewarm.

Had a look at the clio. They are quite a bit more to insure, and can only get the older model…which tbh i don’t like the look of.

Right then… peugoet 206 yes if you are a girl! slow and built like poo! seriously don’t even consider the pug.
Polo gti brilliant cars but my mate had one and it had only done 43k and the gearbox went half way down the M1! so wouldn’t get one of those.
If you can find one then get something fast, cheap, bombproof, and cheap to maintain. Hmmmmmm I wonder what falls under that category?? oh I know a Honda Civic vti if you can find one 🙂

The Polo GTi will eat gearboxes!

Would £2K get you a Ford Fiesta Zetec S? 90bhp (?) but an excellent chassis. Ditto Ford Puma (same underpinnings).

Have a drive of each. I had a 206 gti as a company pool car for a bit and it was fine if you were driving it properly but when just cruising about it was noisy, hard and not very nice to be in. Motorway speeds are about 4k revs and the noise is very tiring.

Consider a seat ibiza cupra or fabia vrs as well maybe? The first is diesel or petrola and nice to drive.

Hang on a 172 for 2k!! do you mean an insurance write off!!

Ibiza’s are mint and never break, fast too!

pimpmyride – Member
Right then… peugeot 206 yes if you are a girl! slow and built like poo! seriously don’t even consider the pug.
Polo gti brilliant cars but my mate had one and it had only done 43k and the gearbox went half way down the M1! so wouldn’t get one of those.
If you can find one then get something fast, cheap, bombproof, and cheap to maintain. Hmmmmmm I wonder what falls under that category?? oh I know a Honda Civic vti if you can find one

Hmmmm thats interesting, thanks for that! I know that teh Polo’s gearboxes are a bad point, and at £600 to fix i’m not sue i want to risk it…

A Honda…I hadn’t considered that, thanks i’ll have a look.

Jimbo – Member
The Polo GTi will eat gearboxes!

Would £2K get you a Ford Fiesta Zetec S? 90bhp (?) but an excellent chassis. Ditto Ford Puma (same underpinnings).

Did look at fezzas, but at 90bhp, a little too slow i think lol (i’m enjoying that my insurance is now relatively cheap :lol:)

steveh – Member
Have a drive of each. I had a 206 gti as a company pool car for a bit and it was fine if you were driving it properly but when just cruising about it was noisy, hard and not very nice to be in. Motorway speeds are about 4k revs and the noise is very tiring.

Consider a seat ibiza cupra or fabia vrs as well maybe? The first is diesel or petrola and nice to drive.

I did think that maybe they might be noisy on the motorway, which wouldn’t annoy me “that” much…but rather not, sure you know what i mean.

I would love a SKoda, even though there diesel, but your looking at around £4k…i can’t justify spending that! Also looked at the Ibiza, would like one, but again a little expensive.

Peugeot 306 GTi-6, Rallye or XSi?

£2k and a bit of fun –

Mazda MX5
Old Mini
Honda Civic
old BMW 3 series

All the above would cost though to keep on the road, but they would be fun 😉

If it was my money, I would go for a old Mini, lots of work/tinkering/welding , but great fun to drive, without having to lose you licence 😉

Seriously mate look at the civic vti, absolutely nothing in your budget comes even slightly close to it in terms of build quality, reliability, costs, and not to forget that unbelievable vtech engine.
Clasrkson was even amazed on top gear that out of 10,000,000 vtech engines not one had a single mechanical failure and honda is the number one on the AA list of cars that break down the least.
Go on google and see for yourself 🙂 its a no brainer 🙂

You would get a mk1 or mk2 for your budget but don’t go any newer than 1999 on the mk2, the mk1’s are slightly better and may fetch more than a mk2.
Oh and don’t be put off my high miles they just do not break down!

Take a look at the Citron C2 VTS (no don’t laught) – 1.6 16v 125bph – fantastic handling – French chassis are awesome – great around town – capable on the motorway very fast once you hit 40,000 rpm – cheap and most importantly I can get my Yeti 575 in the back

Jimbo – Member
Peugeot 306 GTi-6, Rallye or XSi?

Good idea on the 306, i’ll get looking in that direction now.

ski – Member
£2k and a bit of fun –

Mazda MX5
Old Mini
Honda Civic
old BMW 3 series

All the above would cost though to keep on the road, but they would be fun

If it was my money, I would go for a old Mini, lots of work/tinkering/welding , but great fun to drive, without having to lose you licence

MX5 – I need to carry a bike and don’t like soft-tops
old mini – I shall be doing a fair few motorway miles…
Civic – Just had a look, they seem to hold their value well… 🙁
3 series – Good idea…but will cost a fair bit to buy etc…

Hmmm i’ll keep looking.

I know I said the pug 206 was poo but if you don’t mind having a small car then a peugoet 106 rallye is truly an amazing car! I had an L reg mk1 in cherry red and it was one of the best cars iv’e ever driven, very good handling, simple mechanics and very fast for a 1.3 when the high lift cam came in at around 5,600 revs or whatever it was?
I would have another tomorrow!

Clasrkson was even amazed on top gear that out of 10,000,000 vtech engines not one had a single mechanical failure…

Ahhhhhhhh Clarkson. The font of motoring knowledge. The statistic to which you refer, refers to one particular component within the VTEC system (the VTEC soleniod/actuator thing, IIRC), and not the engine to which many make it sound like it does…

Will, with your comments in mind, sounds like the Honda Civic would be your best bet out of my list.

My Mrs had a CRX with 220k, I have had a 1.6 civic with 160k on the clock, great cars.

Jimbo, fair point mate i’m not a car guru! 🙂
But for my money I would buy a civic vti you just can’t beat them! and the fact that iv’e never heard of one blowing up even after 170,000 miles of screaming vtech fun just strengthens the decision for me 🙂

pimpmyride – Member
Seriously mate look at the civic vti, absolutely nothing in your budget comes even slightly close to it in terms of build quality, reliability, costs, and not to forget that unbelievable vtech engine.
Clasrkson was even amazed on top gear that out of 10,000,000 vtech engines not one had a single mechanical failure and honda is the number one on the AA list of cars that break down the least.
Go on google and see for yourself its a no brainer

You would get a mk1 or mk2 for your budget but don’t go any newer than 1999 on the mk2, the mk1’s are slightly better and may fetch more than a mk2.
Oh and don’t be put off my high miles they just do not break down!

They do look very cool…think i need to go and look at one in more detail, as in have a test drive and stuff, thanks for that.

breakneckspeed – Member
Take a look at the Citron C2 VTS (no don’t laught) – 1.6 16v 125bph – fantastic handling – French chassis are awesome – great around town – capable on the motorway very fast once you hit 40,000 rpm – cheap and most importantly I can get my Yeti 575 in the back

They do look nice, although, a little out of my price range, they may come down in value…

pimpmyride – Member
I know I said the pug 206 was poo but if you don’t mind having a small car then a peugoet 106 rallye is truly an amazing car! I had an L reg mk1 in cherry red and it was one of the best cars iv’e ever driven, very good handling, simple mechanics and very fast for a 1.3 when the high lift cam came in at around 5,600 revs or whatever it was?
I would have another tomorrow!

Have always liked the 106 GTi, i just can help feel that it would be a squeeze with 2 bikes + 2 people… enlighten me though! As this could also be a contender…

Wow wow wow I think I may buy it myself!! (goes away to check bank balance)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EG6-HONDA-CIVIC-VTI-DOHC-VTEC-ONLY-62K-IMMACULATE_W0QQitemZ280313122604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomobiles_UK?hash=item280313122604&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A7|39%3A1|240%3A1318

“Have always liked the 106 GTi, i just can help feel that it would be a squeeze with 2 bikes + 2 people… enlighten me though! As this could also be a contender…”

The 106 rallye is an awesome car, the handling is on par with any of the modern hothatch sports cars today mini cooper etc, get one with a full history if possible and in excellent condition and you will have as much fun in it as the civic vti, running costs are great I used to get around 37mpg in the rallye and the hadling well you need to drive one they are unbelievable round corners! they will beat some modern 2litre cars off the lights up to about 50mph-60mph too and are certainly not slow.
Very basic though, no power steering, no electric windows, few had a sunroof and very rare to get abs.

If want a cheap to run, fast fun and rare car the rallye is pretty much unbeatable.
But I still think you should get the civic, but either car is a good choice for your budget.

pimpmyride – Member
Wow wow wow I think I may buy it myself!! (goes away to check bank balance)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EG6-HONDA-CIVIC-VTI-DOHC-VTEC-ONLY-62K-IMMACULATE_W0QQitemZ280313122604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAutomobiles_UK?hash=item280313122604&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A7|39%3A1|240%3A1318

That does look nice! little old though…

Just finding Seat Ibizas to be very cheap.

£2,500 2.0 16v 2004

or more miles per gallon at £1,999

Oh and the 106 gti just isn’t in the same league as the rallye, yes its faster and has all the gadgets but they are riddled with problems and electrical gremlins and they need thrashing to get the best from them where as the rallye is a much more involving car to drive 🙂

I had a Pug 206 for a bit and then a diesel 307. My advice would simply be don’t buy any pug ever.

Seats are brilliant too basically a mk3 golf solid, reliable and built like tanks, if you can find a 1.8 20v Turbo then they are **** quick!
The civic may be old but is far ahead of any of the others listed and will outlast them in every way!

Alot of hate for pugs, well apart from the 106 Rallye, which i have to admit i love, i’ll get hunting for one of them now. Is the MkII as good as the MK I?

There are a few 1.8T ibizas, but think insurance will hurt me too much lol!

“Alot of hate for pugs, well apart from the 106 Rallye, which i have to admit i love, i’ll get hunting for one of them now. Is the MkII as good as the MK I?”
This is probably due to the fact that some people (not the ones who have owned one) go on hear say which to an extent is true, the 106 rallye, 205 gti and 306 gti/rallye are probably the 3 best cars they have ever made (fact) but the flimsy build quality, electrical problems and reliability issues are what give peugoet a bad name. Thankfully this isn’t the case with the 106 rallye as its so simple and does everything well.

The ibiza is a cracking car but will murder you on petrol and insurance.

The mk1 is much more desirable and is a 1.3, but the mk2 had a few more creature comforts and had rear disc brakes and is a 1.6, both are amazing but if your worried about old cars then get the mk2 but for my money the mk1 is much better!
Also don’t think that the mk2 1.6 is loads quicker cos its not side by side theres not much in it as when I was a bbit of a boy racer 10 years ago I raced one (yes childish and not clever) and lost by 3-4 car lengths so for me the cheaper fuel bills and insurance for a very slightly slower car is an easy decision:)
Both cars handle the same.
I used to be a member of the 106 rallye forum which is still going, my advice is to join it for free and just talk to owners, chances are you might find a really nice well looked after one on the forum classifieds 🙂

I had a 2002 pug gti-

i will never buy another pug

badly built
unreliable
awful dealers

It was good fun for a while but it is built a 70’s austin maxi

VW everytime. Or if you are sensible something japanese

VW I’ve owned Peugeots and VWs there is no comparison what so ever.

Thanks for that Pimpmyride 🙂 Very helpful indeed! Just had a look and only 1 106 rallye under £3k… 🙁

I need to get test driving some cars i think.

List now consits of:

– Pug 106 Rallye
– Seat Ibiza Cupra
– VW Polo gti (if i can find a good one)
– Seat Ibiza (110bhp diesel)
– Honda Civic Vti
– Ford Fiesta Zetec S

I had a 206gti there for 4 months. Awful thing, bumped and crashed like nothing i have ever driven, was very agricultural, nothing actually fitted in it with th back seats down, french electrics – need I go on ?
I’d got for a 306 for space, a golf gti – anything other than a pug to be honest. Thank the lord i sold it to someone who was so excited to get a GTi they looked past the very obvious and stated issues with it (central locking would randomly unlock during the day – i watched it one day and it did it – bizarre !, airbag lights on/off randomly, sometimes it wouldn’t start, then it would. Saying that it was fun on the track !

Never spoke to anyone who owned a Peugot that didn’t have loads of trouble with it. Like, serious trouble.

Just had a thought, my mate has a 206 and every so often when he is driving it tells him to stop, says it is over heating, and the fan comes on.

Apparently the garage says there is noting wrong with it 🙄

That settles it, no pug 206! 🙂

Never spoke to anyone who owned a Peugot that didn’t have loads of trouble with it. Like, serious trouble.

My 306 was pretty good, 307 was shite.

Hmmm theres a bit of a pattern here, everyone is slagging off the 206 and 306 but not the 106 🙂
I still think you should get the vti old or not its light years ahead of the rest on your list!

Never spoke to anyone who owned a Peugot that didn’t have loads of trouble with it. Like, serious trouble.

I had a mk1 106 Rallye, a 309GTi and a 306GTi-6. Won’t go so far as to say they were the most reliable cars out there, but I had significantly less bother with any of them than a lot of people I know with “more reliable” cars have had.

My 106 Rallye for instance, the original exhaust fell off when it was only about 18,000 miles old. OK, bloody annoying as it was just out of warranty, but replaced it with a stainless Magnex exhaust for cheaper than an OEM one, and all was sound. Only other problem I had in 3 years of ownership, and about 30,000 miles, was the throttle cable came loose, which of course was a 2 minute job to get fixed.

The 309GTi I only had a year, did about 15,000 miles in it, no worries aside from it didn’t like cold morning starts (it had a K&N induction kit already fitted when I bought it) too much, but it started I just had to be wary it would cut out occasionally if left to tickover when it was VERY cold (we’re talking freezing temps or below though). No issues otherwise.

The 306GTi-6 had for 3 years and did 30,000 miles or so in it, no reliability issues at all. Though by the time I got rid, it was over 6 years old and the backbox was just starting to blow a little.

Can’t say any of them were the cheapest or most reliable cars on the road, but each of them were a damned hoot to drive! Much more involving all of them than just about anything else I’ve ever driven (barring a full race spec Caterham 7). The 309 and 306 were even very practical cars, with HUGE boots once the rear seats were folded down. The 106 Rallye was just a smile a minute car, totally impractical (even though I did often get MANY of my friends in it to go from A to B), but would have another tomorrow just as a fun car. A ballache on the motorway though as 5th gear is only about 16.5mph per 1000rpm, which means 80mph is about 5000 revs!!!